Resolve to stop making the same resolution

According to a
study by
Scranton University, many of you. Losing weight was the No. 1 resolution made last year. The same
study says: 1) 45 percent of people make resolutions; 2) 47 percent make a resolution of
self-improvement; 3) 38 percent make a resolution to lose weight; and 4) eight percent are
successful in achieving their resolution. All of those new faces in the gym in January tend to
disappear by mid-February, and 60 percent of gym memberships go unused, according to
Time Magazine.

The purpose here is not to discourage you from making a resolution to get in shape, of course,
but to help you succeed and keep from making the same resolution again next year.

Make your goal realistic and attainable, yet specific

Let's say you're significantly overweight, don't exercise and eat too much processed foods, junk
food, fast food, etc. Do not make your goal to become a raw vegan, to work out five days a week and
lose 50 pounds in three months. You are doomed to fail. Scale down your goal to something more
manageable. There is nothing worse than feeling as if you've failed. Your motivation will disappear
and you'll stop trying. Instead, say you want to lose five pounds a month, work out three times a
week and cut out the fast food. Maybe you want to lose that last 10 pounds from your last pregnancy
and you eat fairly healthy. Don't pressure yourself to lose that weight in one month and go on a
strict calorie-cutting diet. Shoot for a pound a week and find one part of your diet to focus on
improving. Also, don't just say, "I want to lose weight". Give yourself a specific target,
something you can measure. "I will go to the gym three days a week and play basketball once a
week." "I will cut out 80 percent of processed food from my diet and walk four days a week."

Take baby steps

This works in tandem with the first tip. You can't go from point A to point B in one giant step.
It takes many small steps, and it's important to embrace that and be patient. The danger of
starting out too hard too soon is twofold: you're likely to get injured, and you're likely to get
burned out and quit. If you don't currently exercise, start by going to the gym or working out at
home maybe twice a week, and doing a physical activity that you enjoy once or twice a week. Maybe
that's walking, running, biking, or hiking. If it's something you enjoy, you're more likely to
stick with it. The more active you get, the better you'll feel and the easier it will be to do
those not-so-favorite things. In time, you'll add more gym days or start running or doing sprints
or something else to kick it up a notch. Make a weekly or monthly plan, and account for those times
when you may get sick or your kids get sick and you can't work out. If you already work out
regularly and you resolve to add something new, to get leaner, build muscle or run a marathon,
don't change too much at once. Try adding in the new thing once a week. Then when you're
comfortable with that, add another day. If you're new to running, don't throw it in the mix four
days a week. Try once a week. Then add some sprints once a week. Then add another day or two later
on. If you want to start dead lifting (and I
know that you do), start with light weight, maybe dumbbells, and perfect your form. Add
weight over time. Do not throw 45s on the barbell on your first attempt and think you're going to
get it off the floor with good form.

The same holds true with your diet. Let's say you eat pretty healthy, but your daily diet
includes pasta, cereal, sandwiches and sweets. Maybe you don't do fast food, but you eat out three
or four times a week. Instead of vowing to cut out all of that right off the bat, start with one
thing and cut back some each week. Instead of never eating out, eliminate a trip or two and make
better choices. Before you know it, eating healthier will become a habit and you'll continue to
improve little by little.

Allow yourself a cheat

I have yet to meet someone in the health and fitness business who doesn't cheat. Some cheat more
than others (ahem), but we all allow ourselves something sinful from time to time. I try to keep my
cheat to one meal per week. Sometimes it turns into a cheat "day". Sometimes it's twice a week.
Regardless, I don't beat myself up about it because I know my diet is good 90 percent of the time.
Maybe you shoot for 80 percent. Just don't feel as if you've failed when you cave and have some of
those cookies that your co-worker brought into the office. Enjoy it, recover, and move on to the
next day. Piece of cake. Or gluten-free, sugar-free, vegan cake maybe.

Get professional help

Some people can rewire their house. But most of us would feel safer calling an electrician. Same
holds true for your body. If adding strength training to your routine is your goal, it's best to
get help. Without guidance on proper form and technique, you may hurt yourself. You may hurt
yourself anyway, but at least you will have a professional to go to for advice and tips. Besides,
fitness professionals know how to help you achieve specific goals, whether it's fat loss, muscle
building or sports performance. I cannot tell you how huge this has been for me in my journey. I
have a very knowledgeable trainer who is happy to share all that he has learned, much of which came
from other professionals. As a recently certified health coach, I also know the importance of
having a guide while you make a lifestyle change. Anyone can do a Google search. Only the pros know
how to find the most credible sources and how best to apply the knowledge to meet your specific
goals.